May 3, 2011

The Power of a Mother

As a child I remember my mother wanting only one thing from us on Mother's Day - that we would obey and try to get along with one another. She said that would mean more to her than any gift. I found myself through the years asking the same of my children. Recently our adult son David, not knowing what to give me, asked if that's still all I wanted. We laughed about that.

As Mother’s Day approaches, we Moms look forward to being celebrated.Read how my friend Lisa learned that by listening to God, He blessed her family in ways she never dreamed were possible.This is the greatest gift a Mother can receive!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sarah Eggerichs

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I vividly remember where I was standing in my kitchen when I felt God speak to my heart. I knew it had to be Him because it moved me to the deepest core of my being and was the complete opposite of what I was feeling in my flesh. “Lisa how will you teach your children to have faith in Me, when you can’t trust Me with your marriage? How will you look them in the eyes in years to come when they ask you, ‘Mommy why didn’t you try one more time?’ How will you tell them you couldn’t?”

My marriage was a disaster. We were heading towards divorce and I had three very young children. It was so bad, a Christian counselor told me to throw my husband out to get his attention. I loved God and I had seen Him rescue me from some pretty tough things. But could He fix THIS? Would He?

Dr. Emerson and Sarah’s book Motivating Your Man God’s Way was mailed to me by a friend. I read it. Respect unconditionally?? Are you kidding me? Forget it - that seems ridiculous. Yet, it was the ONLY thing I hadn’t tried. Twenty self-help and marriage books, counselors, threats of leaving, yelling, tears, stone cold silence, none of that worked.

I decided to bite the bullet. I was determined to show respect even when I did not feel like it. Then when that didn’t work I could still look God and my children in the eyes and say “I did all I could.” At the time my husband did not join in and do his part of Ephesians 5:33. So when times got really tough and I wanted to quit this obedience thing due to a lack of “results,” God dropped the “how will you teach your children…” bomb.

As wives and mothers we have a powerful appointment by God. He has entrusted us with children who are his blessings. We are told to “train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6).

If we don’t honor God in our marriages, where our children have a front row seat (regardless of their age), how will we show them the blessings and protection God desires to give us? How will we show them that God can move on our behalf if we just get out of His way?

I am grateful that God gave me His instruction for marriage in Ephesians 5:33 and the tools from Love & Respect Ministries. As I obeyed this very challenging scripture, God moved and radically transformed my marriage and my family! I give Him all the glory.

I honor all mothers as Mother’s Day approaches. You have a very high calling. You also serve a very powerful loving God. I want to encourage you that by being obedient to God’s word on marriage you will not be a doormat! You will become a welcome mat to His power. See what God can do in you and through you so that Proverbs 31:28 will become a reality in your family for generations to come: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her…”